UConn Dominates Ohio State as Villanova and Butler Secure Wins

No. 4 UConn secured a decisive 87-55 victory over No. 17 Ohio State on Thursday, Nov. 12.

The Huskies' performance in Columbus showed they are a national powerhouse, driven largely by a dominant second-half surge from Sarah Strong. According to bigeast.com, Strong finished the game with 25 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and three steals. Her efficiency was particularly notable from beyond the arc, where she recorded a career-high seven 3-pointers.

While the Huskies’ offensive rhythm remained steady throughout, Strong’s scoring peaked late in the contest, as she accounted for 20 of her 25 points during the second half. This scoring burst helped UConn maintain a large lead against a highly ranked Buckeyes squad.

Across the conference, several teams utilized depth to overwhelm their opponents. Villanova demonstrated this through a balanced offensive display in their 97-44 win over Merrimack. Jasmine Bascoe led the Wildcats with 26 points, while adding seven assists, five steals, and two blocks, bigeast.com reported.

The Wildcats built a commanding 73-33 lead by the start of the fourth quarter. They eventually extended that margin to as many as 53 points, capitalizing on 29 Merrimack turnovers to score 42 points. Five different Villanova players reached double digits, including EJ Bender with 13 points and Kelsey Joens with 12.

In a much tighter contest, Seton Hall edged out RV Fairfield 67-69. Savannah Catalon led all scorers with 29 points for the Pirates. Her performance was highlighted by near-perfect efficiency from the charity stripe, where she went 11-of-12 from the free-throw line. Catalon also reached a major individual milestone during the game, becoming only the seventh player in Seton Hall history to record over 1,000 career points and 200 career steals.

Butler achieved a seasonal benchmark on Thursday, improving to a 4-0 record for the first time since the 2018-19 season. The Bulldogs defeated North Dakota State 68-61 in a contest defined by efficient shooting and turnover conversion.

Judit Valero led the Bulldogs with 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting. The team’s ability to turn defense into offense was a deciding factor, as Butler converted 13 North Dakota State turnovers into 19 points, according to bigeast.com. Taya Ellis contributed 14 points and nine rebounds, while Tamar Singer facilitated the offense with nine assists.

Team	Points Scored	Opponent Points	Key Performer
UConn	87	55	Sarah Strong (25 pts)
Villanova	97	44	Jasmine Bascoe (26 pts)
Butler	68	61	Judit Valero (18 pts)
Seton Hall	67	69	Savannah Catalon (29 pts)

The BIG EAST schedule intensifies over the weekend with several high-profile matchups. On Saturday, Nov. 14, DePaul is scheduled to face No. 13 Notre Dame at 1 p.m., a game that will affect the conference standings. Providence will also be in action against Boston College at noon.

Sunday, Nov. 15, features a heavyweight clash as No. 4 UConn travels to face No. 7 Louisville at 5:30 p.m. Other scheduled games include Villanova at RV Fairfield at 2 p.m. and Butler at UT Martin at 3 p.m.

UConn’s shooting efficiency remained high throughout their victory, as the team shot 50.8% from the field and 51.9% from beyond the arc.